Monthly Archives: December 2012

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1,530 individuals supported KLRU during this winter pledge drive and as of this morning, we have raised $218,486 that will help us continue providing extraordinary programming and services to this community. Thank you to everyone who contributed online, by phone, or by check during this 17 day fundraising period. Each and every one of you got us closer to our goal, so no matter how big or how small your gift, you truly made a difference!

If you didn’t get around to it, there’s still time to donate to help us reach our $240,000 goal – your gift today could be the one to get us there!

Tonight, join KLRU, KUT and the Annette Strauss Institute for a community conversation to explore the effects of changing demographics on civic participation in Central Texas.

KUT News Reporter Joy Diaz will host the event. Juan Castillo, senior reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, will share recent demographic trends in Austin from the 2010 census. Chantel Bottoms, senior research analyst at Community Action Network, will present voter turnout data for Travis County. Participants will then join small roundtable discussions to explore how to expand community engagement as the city
continues to grow and change.

This community event is organized in partnership with Austin Community College’s Center for Public Policy and Political Studies.

Nature “Revealing The Leopard” 7 pm
Leopards are the ultimate cat. They are the ultimate cat. They are the most feline, the most intelligent, the most dangerous, and, until recently, one of the least understood. Leopards hunt from South Africa to Siberia, from Arabia to Sri Lanka, and are the most widespread predator of their size on land. A leopard is a cat that walks by itself, unseen, secretively. They are the beautiful killers that live in the shadows. This film accumulates the evidence and puts together a psychological profile of this extraordinarily cunning cat. We learn how these cats rarely move without a completely premeditated strategy.

Nova “Secrets of Stonehenge” at 8 pm
Every year, a million visitors are drawn to the Salisbury Plain, in southern England, to gaze upon a mysterious circle of stones. Stonehenge may be the best-known and most mysterious relic of prehistory. During the 20th century, excavations revealed that the structure was built in stages and that it dates back some 5,000 years, to the late Stone Age. The meaning of the monument, however, was anyone’s guess — until recently. Now investigations inside and around Stonehenge have kicked off a dramatic new era of discovery and debate. Who built Stonehenge? What was its purpose? How did prehistoric people quarry, transport, sculpt and erect the giant stones? A new generation of researchers is tackling these questions, finding important clues in the landscape surrounding Stonehenge — one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric structures in the world. The story of Stonehenge is being rewritten.

Secrets of the Dead “China’s Terracotta Warriors” at 9 pm
The extraordinary story of China’s 8,000 terracotta warriors begins two centuries before the birth of Christ. The First Emperor of China was preparing an extravagant tomb for his journey into the afterlife, and decreed that he be protected forever by a monumental army. But how was a terracotta army of this size made in less than two years using the technology of 2200 years ago? Led by archaeologist Agnes Hsu, the investigation shows that the Chinese may have used assembly lines to produce the 8,000-strong terracotta army. After the revelation of what the army really looked like when it was buried, archaeologists use biometric analysis to find out if these clay soldiers were individually modeled on living men.

KLRU-Q’s Saturday Night at the Movies presents a full-length feature film every Saturday night, plus extra content that gives the evening an exciting spin. Each film explores the work of legendary actors and actresses through many important films from their careers. Here is a peek of what this Saturday has in store:

9:30pm – Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge
A fatherless reform school kid, Steve McQueen joined the Marines, but was never far from trouble – until he found acting and the woman who would always love him. He was one of Hollywood’s highest paid stars, and one of its most difficult. His rise to icon and the inevitable descent are told by those who watched it happen. Clips include: The Magnificent Seven, Love With the Proper Stranger, The Cincinnati Kid, The Reivers, The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair and Bullitt. His life story is told with home movies and the recollections of his first wife, Neile McQueen Toffel; children Terri and Chad; actors Chuck Norris, Karl Malden and Don Gordon; and the directors, producers, agents and racing buddies who knew and understood him. Narrated by James Coburn.

10:30pm – Airplay: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio
This program documents the history of rock radio – from the AM deejays to the FM pioneers who fanned the flames of the ’60s, to the silencing of rock radio by the government and big-business interests, to its promise of rebirth on satellite radio. AIRPLAY shares the story of the 50-year struggle for the soul of music radio, told by the deejays and the artists they made stars. Musicians include: Crosby, Stills and Nash, Grace Slick, Little Steven Van Zandt, Bob Weir and Ray Manzarek (The Doors). In addition, legendary disc jockeys talk about the hits and the history they made together through interviews, archival footage and airchecks, some never seen or heard on television before.

The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication, KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, and KUT 90.5 FM are hosting a community conversation to explore the effects of changing demographics on civic participation in Central Texas. “Why Bother? Engaging Our Changing City” is the second event in a yearlong news and public dialogue series organized by the hosts.

“As Austin grows and thrives, our city is becoming more diverse, but this diversity isn’t reflected among citizens who vote,” said Regina Lawrence, director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. “This forum will explore ways to get everyone engaged in our city’s future.”

KUT News Reporter Joy Diaz will host the event. Juan Castillo, senior reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, will share recent demographic trends in Austin from the 2010 census. Chantel Bottoms, senior research analyst at Community Action Network, will present voter turnout data for Travis County. Participants will then join small roundtable discussions to explore how to expand community engagement as the city continues to grow and change.

This community event is organized in partnership with Austin Community College’s Center for Public Policy and Political Studies.

Background: Sponsored by the Strauss Institute for Civic Life, KLRU and KUT 90.5 FM, the “Why Bother? Engaging Texans in Democracy Today” series aims to get people talking about why Texas has one of the lowest rates of civic participation in the country, and what can be done about it.

Future public dialogues next spring will address how citizens can make their voices heard in the Texas Legislature and how to involve Austin residents in city government
and planning. For more information about the series and the civic engagement crisis in Central Texas, visit whybothertexas.org.

About the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life
Created in 2000 to respond to growing political cynicism and disaffection in the United
States, the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life is named for Annette Greenfield
Strauss: former Dallas mayor, community leader and philanthropist. The Institute
envisions a democracy where all citizens are informed, vote and are actively involved in
improving their communities. Through nonpartisan research, education and outreach, the Institute seeks to understand and overcome obstacles to civic engagement. To learn more, visit us online at http://annettestrauss.org.

About The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication
One of the nation’s foremost institutions for the study of advertising and public relations, communication sciences and disorders, communication studies, journalism and radio-TV-film, The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication is preparing students to thrive in an era of media convergence. Serving more than 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is nationally recognized for its faculty members, research and student media. For more information about the College of Communication, visit http://communication.utexas.edu.

The first Monday of the month KLRU Q’s 11pm music block features Hardly Sound. The documentary series focuses on Texas underground music and artists but goes beyond the recording studio to tell the story of the band members with insight into the creative process.

For December
Join Vincent Martinez – one of the most stunningly original artists in Austin – as he lives his self-proclaimed “Jazz Life.” Then marvel at his undeniable hooks and poetic, personal lyrics as he steps into the studio as Emcee Eats.